Internal combustion engine



June 19, 1934,.`

L. l... BEL'rz INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Feb. 2o, 19.52

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Patented June 19, 1934 UNITED STATES INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Lester L. Beltz, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Packard Motor Car Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application February 20, 1932, Serial No. 594,275

Claims.

This invention relates to internal combustion engines and more particularly to engine starting mechanism control.

Internal combustion engines are usually ,5 cranked by means of a starting motor with a relatively small pinion which is engageable with a relatively large engine gear, usually a y wheel ring gear. A connection which has been commonly used is typically illustrated in Patent Number 10 1,116,370 to Vincent Bendix dated'November 1o,

Such an arrangement causes pinion and gear engagement by bringing almoving mass of low kinetic energy into a reduced gearing contact with 5 a stationary large mass. Such a connection if made in the reverse direction will by virtue of the reduced gearing have a detrimental effect on the starting motor, its gears and its bearings.

Such an engagement is particularly apt to occur when the engine and its starter are equipped with an automatic starter operating mechanism and occurs .by virtue of the fact that reverse engine rotation, due to a back fire, for example, usually hasa tendency to cause starter pinion engagement with the Areversely rotating y Wheel gear.

There have been proposed various types of auto- .matic starter mechanisms controlled by the motor speed, the motor manifold vacuum, or the generator voltage or current and it is an object of this invention to provide a control mechanism applicable to any of the above types of automatic starter operated mechanism which will automatically render these automatic mechanisms inoperative when the engine is reversely rotated.

A particular object of the invention is to provide engine controlled means which will prevent the operation of an automatic starter operating mechanism when the engine is reversely rotated and heat sensitive means which will automatically render the engine controlled means ineffective when the engine ceases reverse rotation.

A furtherv object of the invention is to provide a control device for an automatic nengine starter operating system in which electric means will be operated upon the initiation of reverse engine rotation to cause an automatically timed period of ineifectiveness for the automatic starter operating system. i Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawing, which forms a part of this specification, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of an internal combustion engine equipped i with an automatic starter operating mechanism in accordance with my invention, and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged -view of a portion of Fig. 1 showing a portion of my automatic starter con-` trol mechanism.

Referring to the drawing, 10 illustrates an internal combustion engine equipped with an engine driven generator 12, a manifold 13, which may be the intake manifold, a fly wheel ring gear 14, and a starter 16 equipped with a pinion 17, which is eonnectible with the ily wheel ring gear 14 in a manner well known in the art.

The starter may be energized in any convenient manner as by a storage` battery 18 through a circuit controlled by a solenoid type of switch 19 l70 which is controlled in accordance with my invention. The generator l2 may be connected to charge the battery through a circuit controlled by a reverse current relay 21 in the well-known manner. A high resistance solenoid 22 may also be connected between the output side of the generator and the ground to control a contact member 23 for a purpose to be later described. The motor ignition system including a coil 24, a distributor 25, and spark plug 26 may be controlled in the well-known manner by an ignition switch 2'7.

Itis to be understood `that other types of starter mechanism and other sources of starting motor energy might well Kbe controlled by my inven- `tion which is applicable to any type of control valve orswitch.

I have shown an electric means for controlling the starting motor switch 19 and my invention is shown as applied to such a switch. The circuit for controlling this switch is in parallel with the ignition system and therefore is controlled by the ignition switch 27. The circuit itself includes a motor manifold controlled switch 28 of the type well known in the art, a generator controlled switch 23, the latter in parallel with the manifold switch 28, and a third type of switch indicated generally at 29 which is to be more fully described. The switch 29` is arranged in series with the parallel circuit, which includes the switches 23 and 28, and also in series with the starting motor solenoid switch 19. In an actual installation, either the manifold switch 28 or the generator controlled switch 23 could be dispensed with. Iv have shown each, however, to indicate the possibility of using either type in combination with the controlling switch 29.

Switch 29' is' illustrated in detail in Fig. 2 and as shown includes a casing 31 which may be of bakelite or other insulating-material in which 110 a snap diaphragm 32, supporting a wear resisting insulating button 33, defines a chamber 34 in communication with the motor manifold 13, by means of a conduit 35 which also connects the switch 28 to the manifold.

The other portion of the casing forms a support for the electrical portion of the switch 29. Mounted on the casing, as at 35', in electrical contact with the ignition switch 27, is a leaf spring arm 36 normally closing the switch 29 by connecting the contact 35 with the contact 37 thus tending to close the circuit which controls the starting motor switch 19.

Onthe casing is a contact 38 leading to the ground and connected within the casing to one end of a heating coil 39 wound around a heat sensitive element 4l such as a strip of bi-metallic or thermostatic metal mounted at one end in the casing wall. The other end of the coil is fastened to a contact 42v insulatedly supported on the free end of the bi-metallic strip 4l. When the diaphragm 32 is in its lower extreme position, as shown in full lines in Fig. 2, its button 33 keeps the spring arm 36 pressed against the contact 42 and in this position the coil 39 will be energized and will -heat the strip of thermostatic metal. This metal will curl into the position shown in dotted lines forcing the diaphragm to its center position from which it springs, by Virtue of its resiliency, to the position shown in Fig. 1 and the spring arm is again free to connect the contacts 35 and 37.

Under normal operating conditions the casing chamber 34 will besubjected to vacuum or atmospheric pressure and the casing switch 29 will remain closed and therefore have a tendency to energize the starting motor switch whenever the ignition switch 27 is closed. As is well known and is clearly shown in the drawing, both the generator control switch 23 and the manifold controlled switch 28 will alsobe closed whenever the motor is not running so that in the construction illustrated all that is necessary to energize the starting motor switch 19 is closure of the ignition switch 27 unless the switch 29 is open.

This switch is open only under abnormal conditions such as might occur when the engine is reversely rotated as by a back re, for example. Such reverse rotation will build up a pressure in the intake manifold and will snap the diaphragm 32 from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 2 thereby opening the circuit to the starting motor' switch 19 and thus automatically preventing starting motor pinion engagement with the reversely rotating engine fly Wheel gear.

When reverse engine rotationoccurs, simultaneously with the breaking of the circuit to the switch 19, the circuit through the heating coil 39 will be closed and heat will be applied to the thermostatic metal 41. This heat sensitive element and the capacity of the heating coil 39 are relatively designed so that the time required to move the diaphragm from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the position shown in Fig. 1 is longer than the longest period of reverse engine rotation which is apt to occur in any normal engine. It is to be understood that this period of reverse engine rotation is of variable quantity but I have found that 20 seconds is, generally speaking, a satisfactory interval of time and that most reverse engine rotation lasts for a shorter period of time than this. At the end of this time the switch 29 will be automatically rendered operative to permit starter switch operation. The

motor will then be cranked and the coil will be de-energized and allowed to cool, after which it will again'be ready to control the automatic starter controlling switches 23 or 28.

I have thus described the combination of automatic starting motor control mechanism of the manifold or generator type tending to cause starter operation, with automatic engine and heat regulated means automatically to control the effectiveness of the starting motor control mechanism.

My automatic heat regulated means includes, strictly speaking, two devices, one automatically preventing starter operation on the occurrence of reverse engine rotation, and another automatically rendering the first device ineffective and permitting energizing of the system. The first device is engine controlled or manifold controlled and the second is heat sensitive or electrically controlled. Inasmuch as some parts of each of these devices are common to both and inasmuch as the functioning of each is dependent upon the function of the other, I have chosen to regard the two devices as a common switch 29.

While I have herein described in some detail a specific embodiment of my invention, which I deem to be new and advantageous and may specically claim, I do not desire it to be understood that my invention is limited to the exact details of the construction, as it will be apparent that changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. Ihe combination with an automatic starter energizing system for internal combustion engines, of engine controlled mechanism associated with said system in a relation to render it inoperative upon the cccurrence of reverse engine rotation, and thermostatically controlled means associated with said mechanism to render it ineffective.

2. The combination with an automatic starter energizing system for internal combustion engines, of engine controlled mechanism associated with said system in a relation to render it inoperative upon the occurrence of reverse engine rotation, and electrically controlled means associated with said mechanism to render it ineffective.

3. The combination with an automatic starter venergizing system for internal combustion engines, of engine controlled mechanism associated with said system in a relation to render it inoperative upon the occurrence of reverse engine rotation, and heat sensitive means associated with said mechanism to render it ineffective.

4. In a starter energizing system for internal combustion engines, pressure responsive mechanism associated with the engine in a relation to automatically render the system inoperative upon the occurrence of reverse engine rotation, and heat sensitive means associated with the mechanism to render it ineffective.

5. The combination with an automatic starter energizing system for internal lcombustion engines having a manifold, of manifold controlled mechanism associated with said system to render it inoperative upon the occurrence of reverse engine rotation, and heat sensitive means associated with said mechanism to render it ineffective.

6. The combination with an automatic-starter energizing system for internal combustion engines having a manifold, of manifold controlled mechanism associated with said system to render it yinoperative upon the occurrence of reverse engine rotation, and heat-sensitive means associated to render said mechanism ineffective, said means comprising a heat sensitive element and a member moved by the manifold controlled mechanism to apply heat to the element upon the initiation of reverse engine rotation.

7. A control mechanism for an internal combustion engineI starter energizing system comprising means connected to the engine manifold tending to prevent operation of the system when the\ engine is reversely rotated, a heat sensitive element, and mechanism operated by said means to be connected in heating relation with said element, said element when heated tending to render said means ineiective.

8. In a. starter control circuit for internal combustion engines, a device for automatically breaking and making the circuit comprising movable means associated with the engine and adapted to be moved by reverse rotation thereof to circuit broken position, and a second movable means including mechanism associated therewith to cause a delayed movement of the rst named means to circuit made position after the engine comes to rest.

9. In an engine having a starter and a generator, a starter controlling system comprising a generator controlled device tending to energize the starter, mechanism associated with said generator controlled device automatically rendering said device ineiective upon the occurrence of reverse engine rotation, and heat sensitive means associated with said mechanism tending to render said mechanism eiTective for only a definite time interval.

10. In an engine having a starter and a generator, a starter controlling system comprising a generator controlled device tending to energize the starter, mechanism associated with said generator controlled device .automatically rendering said device ineffective upon the occurrence of a pack nre, and heat sensitive means associated with said mechanism tending to render said mechanism effective for only a definite time interval.

11. The combination with -an automatic starterenergizing system for internal combustion engines having a switch, of mechanism associated to regulate the position of said switch, said mechanism operating in response to pressure developed by engine back-fire to open the switch and actuated in response to varying temperature to close said switch a predetermined period of time after opening.

12. The combination with an automatic starter energizing system for internal combustion engines having a switch, of mechanism associated to regulate the position of said switch, said mechanism operating in response to pressure developed by engine back-tire to open the switch and actuated in response to varying temperature to close said switch.

13. The combination with an automatic starter energizing system for internal combustion engines, of mechanism associated to control said system, said mechanism operating in response to back-pressure in the engine to interrupt the system and operating in response to the inluence of temperature variance to discontinue the interruption of the system. f

14. Starting mechanism for internal combustion engines including a magnetically operated starting switch, a control circuit for said starting switch including a pair of contacts, means responsive to backward rotation of the engine for opening said contacts, and thermostatic means for electing closure of the contacts at a predetermined time after backward rotation of the engine ceases. l

15. In combination with an internal combustion engine having a fuel intake system, an electrical starting system therefor including a motor and a starting switch, manually controllable means for closing said starting switch, means responsive to pressure in the fuel intake system for rendering said closing system inoperative, and thermostatic means for effecting the reoperation of said closing means at a predetermined time after the dissipation of said pressure.

LESTER L. BELTZ. 

